Like the members of congress that have spoken today i long advocated for modernizing our relationship with cuba. I led a bipartisan bill to make it easier to finance exports to cuba. The bill is led in the house by ranking agriculture chair colin peterson. My home state of minnesota digs into exports while we export to cuba in 2o 13. With the president s action alone, the Minnesota Department of agriculture estimates that exports could increase by another 20 million. Increasing agriculture exports and promoting normal commercial relations with cuba will ensure cubans can provide for their families. The growing community of cuban Small Farmers and coops need advice and assistance to aid in the large Stateowned Enterprises to a more entrepreneurial system u. S. Agriculture can develop a new generation of cuban agriculture. The success of this policy shift and the potential for openings does not hinge solely on the u. S. The government must take serious steps to reform politically and eco
Having this archaic policy that wouldnt allow cuba to join the hemispheric unity. Now that we will i think when he goes to this conference, next summit in panama, hell be welcomed. Because now well be able to unify this entire hemisphere. You may think its a small island but the significance of being able to bring in 11 Million People and make them like the rest of the people in this hemisphere, when you think about it, as we go out and compete against the world we have every type of agriculture that there is in the world, every single thing is grown in this hemisphere. We have more ability for producing electrons than any other hemisphere in the world. All of the solar, all of the wind all of the hydro all of the oil. I mean you name it. Every possibility of producing energy exists. If we could just unify this whole hemisphere and this is what these president s are all talking about is the hemispheric energy policy. We wouldnt need a drop of oil from any other part of the world. We co
Opportunities to try to, you know, position this certain ways as to who its for and so forth. But if you ask the American People, by a margin of 21 consistently over years, theyve said they want it. And last i checked, thats who we work for. And as far as a turning point, im listening to some of these arguments, and theyve got to be music to opecs ears. Some of these arguments are going to guarantee that we continue to import oil from the middle east. And im pretty sure thats not what americans want. And any other alternative type of energy that any member of this committee or anyone else wants to bring up, go do it. This legislation doesnt stop one of those ideas. Go do it. But the reality is, if you understand economics, economics come into play. And opec and other countries are going to continue to manage this oil price so that things work for them, not us. So i believe we need to compete when it comes to oil and gas and were doing it. And thats why prices are down at the pump. And
While there are divisions of class and economics and education in this country, scenes are now playing out that represent a division of time, between the past and the future.